Kelli Voci is Queen for a Day,
Wins Ladies Championship
Kelli Voci, an Atlantic City Poker Dealer, won the Ladies Championship at the 2004 Jack Binion World Poker Open. She came in with one of the lowest stack sizes, but gradually built up her chip count until she had all the chips in what was a stunning ending to a very exciting day of competition.
Judy Rhodes, an Apartment Complex Manager from Houma, LA was the first player to exit when her K-Q was topped by Jill Gesner's A-K. Rhodes failed to catch a Queen and received $764 for ninth place.
A few hands later, Nash Ball -- a Commercial Real Estate Appraiser from Atlanta -- played her final hand of the night when she was dealt Q-J versus Jill Gesner's K-J. Neither player made a pair, which meant the King-high played and Gesner had eliminated her second player within just a few minutes. Ball was bounced off the final table in eighth place, good for $956.
Jill Gesner continued to hold all the cards when she knocked out yet another player. This time, Kellie Terry was the unfortunate victim. Terry, a Poker Dealer from Comanche, OK, was short-stacked and started with J-9 against Gesner's A-6. Gesner flopped a 6, which stood up as the winning hand. It was back to dealing for Terry, who ended up in seventh place, which amounted to a $1,195 payoff.
Jenny Haddad, a Poker Dealer from Brigantine, NJ, was the next player to get eliminated. She started off with pocket fours, which failed to hold up. Haddad collected $1,673 for sixth place.
Incredibly, Jill Gesner then went on a disastrous run which left her low on chips. From the way things went early at the final table, it was hard to imagine that Gesner would be the next player eliminated. That's exactly what happened when Gesner flopped two pair, with K-J, after the flop came K-J-5. Kelli Voci had a diamond draw and spiked a fifth diamond on the turn. Gesner failed to hit her four-outer for the full house, which meant a fifth place finish. Gesner, a Day Care Provider from Rockford, IL, who made the final table in this event last year, received $2,150.
Down to four players, Kelli Voci was the chip leader. Then, Ruth Spiegel went out when she made her final raise of the night with J-J, which was called by Kelli Voci, with Q-8. The flop came 10-9-7, giving Voci an outside straight draw. The turn was no help the either player, but the river brought Voci a 6, completing the 10-high straight. Ruth Spiegel won the special Poker School Online tournament last year (sponsored by PokerPages.com). She added a fourth place finish to her resume in this event, and ended up with $2,868 in prize money.
Lynda Lanham was short-stacked most of the night. She played her last hand when dealt A-5, which ran into a brick wall when Laurene Holland had J-3 and flopped three Jacks. The final board showed K-J-J-8-10, which gave Holland the pot. Lanham, from Chatt., TN was given $4,541 for her third place finish.
The final hand of the tournament came out of nowhere. Kelli Voci had about a 3 to 1 chip lead over Laurene Holland when the tournament came to a stunning conclusion. Holland was dealt A-A and hoped to capitalize on her big hand. She let Voci into the pot with a very ordinary Q-6. The flop stunned the audience when Q-Q-Q was shown. Amazingly, Voci had flopped four of a kind, and Holland had the second best possible hand with Queens full of Aces. All of Holland's chips were in the pot when the smoke cleared, and the four Queens scooped the final pot of the night. How fitting that the Ladies Championship was determined by four Queens.
Laurene Holland, and RN from Los Angeles, took $9,081 as the runner up. Kelli Voci, who has won and placed in a number of Atlantic City poker tournaments, received $17,685 for first place, the gold and diamond bracelet, and a dozen roses, presented by Tournament Director, Jimmy Sommerfeld.
This year's ladies-only event set an all-time record, as 254 players entered the tournament. The 2004 Jack Binion World Poker Open continues to be on a record-setting pace. Attendance and prize money are up significantly over last year, which was a previous record for the South's largest poker tournament.
Final Table Started: 11:45 pm CST
Final Table Ended: 1:35 am CST
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